


What If...? - No. 5 - Reminder

by ImperfectOrphanage



Category: Subarashiki Kono Sekai | The World Ends With You
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-17
Updated: 2017-01-17
Packaged: 2018-09-18 05:52:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 687
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9370946
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ImperfectOrphanage/pseuds/ImperfectOrphanage
Summary: Neku was shot twice through the chest. Things like that are hard to forget.





	

It was confusing to Joshua how easily he slipped into a routine with Neku. They had been living together for several weeks without a single incident. Joshua had his position as Composer and Neku had his position as a college student about to graduate with honors.

He wasn’t going to become a Conductor. Joshua had thrown the idea around in his head but he couldn’t force such a position on Neku. But he didn’t want to lose Neku to the passage of time. He had researched in the High Plane Library for days on end until he found a way to keep him.

There were some forgotten positions in the chain of command over the years. Once the population grew to the point there were regions instead of states and townships, certain positions were no longer needed. One such position was an Arranger-a person who mostly did paperwork and selected the souls to be processed in the next Game. Currently, it was Joshua’s duty to do so, but he found a loophole.

Neku would be his Arranger, and it would leave Joshua more time to repair Shibuya and keep her in the best shape possible. But for today there would be no Game. Neku had three college classes and a side job under Sanae to learn how to imprint and read souls.

 It was early in the morning, and Joshua did not feel the need to rise from his bed. He could hear Neku in the shower, and the thought to sneak up on him gave Joshua the nudge to uncurl from the sheets. With a soft giggle, Joshua crept toward the bathroom to peek between the crack of the door.

He was about to startle Neku, but the sight of Neku’s bare back made him pause.

A large, oddly star shaped scar spread over his skin. It was lighter than the rest of it, and Neku seemed to move as if it bothered him. He shrugged a button up on and turned to face the doorway. The sight of Joshua made him jump.

“Shit, Josh. Learn to knock.”

Joshua frowned. The scar spread over his chest as well. “Is that…?”

Looking down, Neku tugged his shirt closed to button it. “Yeah.”

“I didn’t know,” Joshua said, softly. “Does it hurt?”

“Not really.” Neku finished buttoning his shirt. “It’s a bit stiff and I need to put lotion on it to help the skin relax but it doesn’t hurt. The doctor said it’d fade with time but not completely.”

Joshua closed the distance between them. He held a hand to Neku’s chest despite the shirt between. “I brought you back to the Scramble. I brought you back to life. It should not have scarred you.”

“Mr. H said it’s because it took three weeks to come back,” Neku explained, pulling on a hoodie. “It’s no big deal, Josh. It doesn’t even bother me.”

“It bothers me,” Joshua whispered, sliding his hand into Neku’s shirt to feel the rough skin. “How interesting. I suppose you won’t let me experiment on you? Perhaps I could remove it.”

“Don’t.” Neku grasped Joshua’s wrist. “Don’t. It’s okay. If I ever start to feel down…it reminds me of what I went through to get here.”

Joshua smiled. “Why am I not surprised? I will leave it alone.”

“Thanks. I gotta bounce or I’ll be late,” Neku said, diving around Joshua to trot out of the bathroom and into the hall. “I’ll be back tonight with ramen.”

“Alright, see you then!” Joshua called to him as he disappeared around the corner and out the door.

A few seconds passed in silence. Joshua slid a hand up to the back of his head.

Though he had no scar, there was a dark ring of red underneath his hair from where the bullet had tore through his skull and brain. His fingers trembled.

Neku was much stronger than he was. It made Joshua simultaneously proud and offended.

“The world needs more people like you, Neku.”

He knew there wouldn’t be a response, but he felt an answer by way of warmth in his heart.


End file.
